Dominik Szoboszlai delivered one of the season’s most remarkable free-kicks against Arsenal, prompting Michael Owen to suggest he had found the ideal counter to such strikes—only to be disproven last night.
With Liverpool’s set piece taken from a considerable distance, Owen contended that David Raya’s wall obstructed him since it provided Szoboszlai with something to aim over.
From 32 yards out, Owen asserted that teams might actually fare better without a wall when defending against free-kicks.
“At 32.2 yards, honestly, if you place a ball there and ask ‘can you score from that distance?’, I would probably say no,” Owen remarked during a Premier League Productions segment.
“I’ve mentioned it before; I think a wall in this scenario does more harm than good.
“I’m not sure, but I believe that when the free-kick is beyond 32 yards, if the goalkeeper simply stands in the middle without a wall, he might not even need to dive; he could just shuffle and catch it.
“If he’s standing centrally with no obstruction, the attacking players are likely to start blocking, establishing their own wall.
“This indicates that the free-kick taker prefers a wall; it serves as a reference point.
“Don’t misunderstand me; a wall is essential at 20 yards. But at over 32 yards, I think it hinders goalkeepers.”
In fairness, many on social media seemed to resonate with Owen’s viewpoint, including Reading manager Noel Hunt.
During a Football League Trophy match last night between Swindon Town and Reading, the home side was awarded a free-kick from a distance comparable to Szoboszlai’s against Arsenal.
Remarkably, Reading seemed to follow Owen’s advice by not erecting a wall to defend the free-kick, opting instead to use just one player to block the shot.
The result? Swindon’s Will Wright struck the ball into the top corner, leaving Reading goalkeeper Jack Stevens completely stationary.
Eat your heart out Dominik Szoboszlai, Will Wright with a beauty. #stfc pic.twitter.com/QVBOR5e4Vg
— Call Me Al Farm (@eggforbread) September 2, 2025
To be fair, it did appear that the ball may have deflected off a Reading defender, potentially obscuring Stevens’ view and altering the shot’s trajectory.
Nevertheless, it’s quite amusing that just two days after Owen offered his defensive advice on free-kicks, he was quickly proven incorrect.
Wright’s spectacular goal in the 47th minute ultimately secured a 3-2 win for Swindon against their League One rivals.
Given the outcome of that free-kick, it’s likely that Premier League teams won’t be heeding Owen’s advice anytime soon.
Image Source: Michael Owen @ Instagram
